Ladle crust breaker and skuller



Feb. 22, 1966 J. F. O'BRIEN LADLE CRUST BREAKER AND SKULLER Filed May 31. 1961 lNl/ENTOR JOHN F: OER/EN Attorney United States Patent 3,236,510 LADLE CRUST BREAKER AND SKULLER John F. OBrien, Midlothian, Ill., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 31, 1961, Ser. No. 113,914 8 Claims. (Cl. 266-1) This invention relates to a tool for breaking the crust that forms on molten metal in transfer ladles and for removing skull after the ladies have been emptied.

During the transfer of molten metal :by ladles from blast furnaces to stell producing facilities, crust forms on the top of the molten metal and must be broken before it can be poured safely by the craneman. This is usually done according to conventional practice by operating a crane-hoist to lower a ladle hanger into the ladle to a position in which it punctures the crust. This practice shortens the life of the ladle hangers, since the hanger hooks are immersed in the molten metal when the crust is punctured, and necessitates their frequent replacement to conform with safety standards.

After emptying a ladle, the skull of solidified metal that is formed on the internal surface of the ladle must be removed. For this purpose the conventional skulling tool is comprised of a steel disc-shaped block, having skulling points or bits inserted around its periphery, and a stem-like shaft that is secured at one end to the block and has a shackle attached to its other end to accommodate a sling or crane hook. Vertical movement of the tool to drag its skulling points or bits over the skull in the ladle either breaks the skull so that it can be removed by dumping the ladle, or lifts the skull from the ladle. The skulling points in tools of this character requently become loose and fall out or break, thus causing considerable delay in skulling operations.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a tool that can be used both for breaking ladle crust and for skull removing operations, and which eliminates the above mentioned disadvantage of conventional devices for these purposes. A further object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character that can be fabricated conveniently from materials readily available in steel mills.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the ladle crust breaker and skuller of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2 in which a central portion of one of the skull scraper bars in broken away to show the interlocking connection at the inner ends of the lower pair of scraper bars; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the scraper bars in spaced positions relative to each other and illustrating their construction for interlocking engagement with each other.

The crust breaker and skuller shown in the drawings comprises a rectangular :steel block or body 1 that has its lower end 2 tapered to a point for piercing crust that has formed on molten'metal in a ladle and a bail 3 for manipulating engagement by the hook 4 of a crane-hoist or ladle hanger. The steel body 1 and its pointed end 2 may be fabricated from three slabs welded together as shown in the drawings. The-bail 3 comprises a pair of laterally spaced vertical plates 5 that are extensions of the side slabs of the body 1 and a cylindrical hookengaging bushing 6 in the space 7 between the plates 5. The bushing 6 is secured to the upper ends of the "ice plates 5 by a mounting pin 8 extending transversely of the space 7 through aligned openings in the plates 5 and bushing 6.

For skull removing purposes, the tool has four scraper bars 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d that project outwardly with respect to the sides of the block 1 from points arranged centrally of the upper edges thereof. The outer ends of the scraper 'bars 10a-10d each have vertically spaced upper and lower cutter bits 11 for removing skull in the ladle in a manner to be described. As best shown in FIGURE 4, the two scraper bars 10a and 10b are formed at the outer ends of a straight continuous member 12 that has a notch 13 at its center for a purpose to be described. By reason of the unitary construction of member 12, its opposite ends 10a and 10b are held against endwise movement relative to each other. The remaining two scraper bars, and 10d, extend outwardly through openings 14 and 15 that are centrally located in the lower ends of the side plates 5. The scraper bars 100 and 10d have identical construction and have L-shaped hooks 16 at their inner ends for interlocking engagement with each other as best shown in FIGURE 4. The opening 15 through which the bar 10d extends has a vertical dimension that is greater than that of the similar opening 14 through which the bar ltlcextends for a purpose to be described.

The scraper bars 100 and 10d are assembled in position by first inserting the scraper bar 100 through the side plate opening 14, the dimensions of which are such that the bar 100 has a snug fit therein, to a position with its L-shaped hook arranged centrally of the space 7 between the side plates 5. The other scraper bar 10d is inserted through the other side plate opening 15 with the arm 17 at the outer end of its L-shaped hook 16 extending in an opposite direction with respect to the similar arm 17 of the book 16 of the scraper bar 10c. This insertion is made with the scraper bar 10d held in an elevated position, which is enabled by reason of vertical enlargement of the opening 15, so that its hook-arm 17 moves over the hook-arm on the scraper 100, after which it is lowered to the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 in which the hooks 16 have interlocking engagement with each other. Upon lowering movement in this manner, the scraper bars 100 and 10d are joined together and held against endwise movement relative to each other by the interlocking engagement of their hooks 16. When interlocked in this manner, the two bars 100 and 10d will cooperate to provide an upwardly facing notch 18 similar to the downwardly facing notch 13 in the scraper bar member 12. The scraper member 12 is then inserted into the space 7 between the side plates 5 and lowered to a position with its notch 13 in meshing engagement with the notch 18 at the inner ends of the scraper bars 100 and 10d. In this position, the scraper bars 10c and 10d, since their interlocked lugs 16 are fitted in the notch 13, operate to hold the scraper member 12 against endwise movement in the space 7. The member 12, by reason of the interlocking connection provided by its notch 13 being fitted in the notch 18, similarly 0perates to hold the bars 10c and 10d against endwise movement in the openings 14 and 15.

After assembly of the scraper bars in this manner, a filler block 20 is inserted in the space 7 in a position with its lower edge 21 rest-ing against the upper surface 22 of the scraper bar 12. The filler block is held against movement in the space 7 by four bolts 23 that extend through aligned openings in the plates 5 and the filler block 20. The block 20 when bolted in position in this manner operates to hold the scraper :bar member 12 against vertical movement in the space 7. The upper edge 24 of the block 20 is spaced from the hook-engaging blushing 6 and is shaped to both facilitate insertion of the hook 4 in the space under the bushing 6 and to provide a locking action that prevents swinging movement of the tool relative to the hook 4 when it is suspended thereon. When the block 20 has been bolted in position, a block or key 26, which has a vertical dimension that corresponds to the enlargement of the opening 15, is inserted in the opening 15 in a position over the scraper bar 10a. in which it operates to hold the scraper bar 10d against vertical movement in the opening 15. The key 26 has a flange 27 at its outer end which is secured by stud bolts 28 to the side plate 5 to hold it against endwise movement out of its position in the opening 15.

In operation, the bushing 6 of the bail 3 is engaged by the hook of a ladle hanger 4 to suspend the crust breaker and skuller of this invention from a crane-hoist used to transport ladles of molten metal. When crust on the top of molten metal is to be broken to permit pouring of the metal, the hanger 4 is lowered by the craneman to engage the pointed end 2 with the ladle crust so that the mass of the body 1 bears against and breaks the crust. After emptying the ladle, skull on its internal surface is broken and removed by raising and lowering the body 1 in the ladle to move the ends of one of the bars Illa-10d over the skull. In so doing, the cutter bits 11 engage the projecting particles of skull and either crack the skull loose from the ladle or lift it therefrom when the body 1 is being elevated relative to the ladle. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides an elficient tool that may be used both for crustabreaking and skull-rernoving operations.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it Will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A ladle crust breaker and skuller comprising a steel body having a pointed lower end, a pair of laterally spaced vertical plates secured to and extending upwardly from said body, a crane-hoist hook engaging pin having opposite ends secured to the upper ends of said plates and extending transversely of the space therebetween, said plates having aligned openings arranged centrally of their lower ends, scraper bars projecting outwardly with respect to the sides of said body through each of said openings and in opposite directions from the space between the lower ends of said plates, said scraper bars having bits at their outer ends for scraping movement over the sides of a ladle to remove skull therefrom, and means securing said scraper bars against movement relative to said body.

2. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 1 characterized by said scraper bar securing means including a filler block in the space between said plates and secured thereto, said filler block having engagement at its lower end with and operating to hold said scraper bars against upward movement in said space.

3. A ladle crust breaker and skuller comprising a steel 6 body havmg a polnted lower end, a. pair of laterally spaced vertical plates secured to and extending upwardly from said body, a bail pin connected with the upper ends of said plates for suspending engagement on a cranehoist hook, said plates having laterally facing aligned openings respectively arranged centrally of their lower ends, a first pair of scraper bars arranged in axially aligned positions extending transversely with respect to the space between said plates and respectively extending outwardly through the said openings therein, a straight continuous member in the space between said plates and projecting in opposite directions therefrom, a second pair of scraper bars formed at opposite ends of said member, means connecting the inner ends of said first pair of bars together at a point located centrally of said body, said scraper bars projecting outwardly with respect to the sides of said body and having bits at their outer ends for scraping movement over the sides of a lad'le to remove skull therefrom, and means securing all of said bars against endwise movement relative to said body.

4. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 3 characterized by the connection at the inner ends of said first pair of bars comprising a pair of L-shaped hooks having interlocking engagement with each other.

5. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 3 in which said last named means includes an interlocking connection provided by oppositely facing recesses in the center portions of each of said pairs of bars.

6. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 3 characterized by means including a filler block in the space between said plates and secured thereto, said filler block having engagement at its lower end with and operating to hold said scraper bars against upward movement in said space.

7. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 4 characterized by one of said plate openings having a greater vertical dimension than the other to permit relative vertical movement of one of said first pair of scraper bars for manipulation to assemble said L-shaped hooks in interlocking engagement, and a removable key bl-ock insertable in said one plate opening for holding said one scraper bar against vertical movement in said one opening.

8. A ladle crust breaker and skuller as defined in claim 6 characterized by said filler block having an upper edge spaced below said bail pin and cooperating therewith to limit its swinging movement relative to a crane-hoist hook having supporting engagement with said bail pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,039,909 10/1912 Decker -413 X 1,041,501 10/1912 Marsden 175-414 X 1,669,360 5/1928 Towne 175414 X 1,763,748 6/1930 Best 20-92 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,252 1836 France.

WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

WINSTON A. DOUGLAS, Examiner. 

1. A LADLE CRUST BREAKER AND SKULLER COMPRISING A STEEL BODY HAVING A POINTED LOWERED END, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED VERTICAL PLATES SECURED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BODY, A CRANE-HOIST HOOK ENGAGING PIN HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID PLATES AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE SPACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID PLATES HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS ARRANGED CENTRALLY OF THEIR LOWER ENDS, SCRAPER BARS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SIDES OF SAID BODY THROUGH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS AND IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PLATES, SAID SCRAPER BARS HAVING BITS AT THEIR OUTER ENDS FOR SCRAPING MOVEMENT OVER THE SIDES OF A LADLE TO REMOVE SKULL THEREFROM, AND MEANS SECURING SAID SCRAPER BARS AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID BODY. 